Some bus travel just got cheaper thanks to new “Hopper” fare

Travelling on a bus in London is now cheaper and more convenient for millions of Londoners as Sadiq Khan London’s Mayor launched the beginning of the one-hour ‘Hopper’ fare.

The new fare means an estimated 30m bus journeys currently costing £1.50 now become free every year. It allows passengers to change onto another bus or tram for free within one hour of touching in at the start of their journey.
It will be automatically given to anyone who uses ‘pay as you go’ with Oyster or contactless payment cards.

Using the ‘Hopper’ fare, passengers can now make extended journeys that include:

London Bridge to Croydon using the route 133 to Streatham and then changing at Streatham Hill station onto a 109 to West Croydon.
Victoria Station to Wembley stadium using the Route 16 to Edgware Road station and then changing onto a route 18 to Wembley Central station.
Mitcham Junction to Bromley using the Tram to East Croydon Tram Stop and then changing onto a route 119 to Bromley Town Centre.
TfL is now working on delivering unlimited bus and tram transfers within one hour, which is not currently possible due to limits with the existing technology. Plans are for TfL to deliver unlimited bus and tram journeys in an hour from 2018.

In addition to this, from 2018, passengers who travel on a Tube or train between their two or more bus or tram journeys will also be eligible for the Hopper fare.

London TravelWatch Chair, Stephen Locke commented: “Making bus travel more affordable will really help passengers, particularly people on lower incomes with long or complex journeys to work.

“The report, Living on the Edge, that we commissioned jointly with Trust for London and London Councils last year showed that the cost of public transport was a major factor which limited the type and location of employment that people living in outer London were likely to consider.

“We hope that for many people, the hopper fare will improve access to jobs in areas they may have previously found it too expensive to get to.”

Lianna Etkind, Public Transport Campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport commented: “More people may now use the bus than the car in London, and we hope the Hopper will make choosing the bus cheaper and easier for even more Londoners. With more green low emission buses on the roads, leaving the car behind and traveling by bus is a way for people to improve air quality and make this a healthier city for everyone”.

London’s Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to deliver this key commitment to London by the Mayor swiftly, enabling us to better meet the needs of those Londoners who live or work in areas which aren’t as well served by Tube or rail services.”

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